DIRECTOR Don Rowing believes Barnsley have the strength in depth to cope without Craig Davies and Scott Wiseman if the duo decide to leave Oakwell.
Neither Welsh international Davies, the club’s leading goal-scorer with nine goals, or Wiseman featured in the club’s morale boosting FA Cup victory over Burnley last weekend.
Davies and Wiseman are poised to move to Championship rivals Bolton and Blackpool respectively this week.
The Reds have accepted a bid, thought to be in the region of £300,000, for Davies and an undisclosed six figure sum for full-back Wiseman.
Aged 26, Davies joined Barnsley on a free transfer in the summer of 2011 following the expiry of his contract at Chesterfield, hitting 11 goals in 42 appearances last season. But following his goal-scoring exploits during the 2012/13 campaign, Bolton have triggered a release clause in Davies contract and the Trotters are now discussing personal terms with the player’s representatives.
But even if the pair move on to pastures new, Rowing is adamant the Reds have the players to fill the void.
“We have got 35 players who are on our books and we are going to have to use what we have at our disposal for the game on Saturday,” he insisted. “If we appoint a manager in good time, he may want to bring someone in. We don’t know. I think there are people in that squad who are capable of competing and beating Leeds.”
With Sean O’Driscoll rejecting the opportunity to become the club’s sixth manager in the last seven and a half years on Sunday night, the Reds turned their attentions yesterday to Terry Butcher. Barnsley have been given permission by Inverness Caledonian Thistle to speak to Butcher, who has been in charge of the high-flying Scottish Premier League outfit since January 2009, and will meet with him over the next 48 hours.
Inverness chairman Kenny Cameron said: “Given our current position in the league and the fact we have a Cup semi-final on the horizon, it is inevitable that if any managerial positions come up our management team will no doubt be on the radar.”
Former England captain Butcher has previously managed Coventry, Sunderland, Motherwell, Sydney FC and Brentford.
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